


love drunk

by princess_j3ss



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Drunken Shenanigans, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 07:04:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9480419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_j3ss/pseuds/princess_j3ss
Summary: Winry drinks a little too much, and Edward gets to babysit.





	

Edward Elric raked his hand through his fringe, sighing just loudly enough to let the world know he was irritated. All he had wanted was the return to some normalcy for the evening, and some normalcy had not involved his childhood friend Winry Rockbell getting pie-eyed at dinner.

Though as irritated as he was - and probably part of the reason for his irritation – he loved her. More than you love a childhood friend, he had grown to realize. He was in love with her. She could get under his skin like no one else was capable of, she knew just how to push his buttons and drive him crazy but … she was also radiant and beautiful, passionate and kind. It probably should have annoyed him further that everyone around him had realized his feelings before he had, but hey, he had been a little preoccupied. It had taken him a while to grow up and actually stop being in denial about his feelings, but now that he had acknowledged them, he was trying to figure out the best way to tell her.  
Or rather, the best way to tell her without getting a wrench to the jaw.

Or worse – without making her cry.

They were on their way back to the Rockbell’s, a slow process seeing as she couldn’t walk in a straight line. She stumbled, and he reached for her elbow, a little enamored despite his exasperation.

“If you’re going to be sick, warn me.”

Winry laughed, humming under her breath as she skipped along, traveling more along a zig zag than anything else.

“And don’t come crying to me when you have a hangover tomorrow.”

Winry merely hummed in response, slowing down to even more of a glacial pace.

“Come on Winry.” Ed went to grab her hand, and then halfway through the movement thought better of it and stopped mid lunge, cheeks reddening a little, but thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice.

She was too busy spinning around in circles, laughing.

Now they really weren’t going anywhere.

“I didn’t sign up to babysit you, Win”, he grumbled, following her as she spun off the path, though as much as he was going to gripe about it, there was no way he would let her walk home drunk and alone.

“Stop being such a killjoy, Ed!” Winry shrieked, skidding to a halt and nearly toppling over to one side.

Ed groaned, “I’m not being a killjoy, I just don’t understand why you had to go and get so drunk!”

Winry crossed her blue eyes at him, sticking out her tongue in retaliation, and he lunged forward, attempting to pinch it between his thumb and pointer finger, but she pulled it back just in time.

“It’s none of your business, anyway.”

Edward watched as she started to twirl again, almost wishing that Al was there to give him some backup in talking some sense into her. He decided to let her comment slide for the time being, gulping in a large breath of patience.

“Granny is going to be waiting up, let’s go Winry.”

Winry stopped twirling and nearly knocked into him. 

“Don’t. You. Boss. Me. Around. Edward. Elric”, she punctuated each word with a jab to his chest, though her eyes were twinkling in a way that could only spell trouble.

“You’ve been bossing me around since we were little kids, Win, it’s only fair.” Ed muttered.

She seemed to ponder this for a moment, and Ed would have given a million cenz to know what thoughts were crossing through her mind.

“Loosen up a little Ed!” Winry squealed, grabbing his hand to attempt to get him to join in the spinning with her. At least she was a happy drunk.

Besides, maybe she had a small point – not that he was about to tell her that. They’d both had their childhood ripped away from them, partly because of his stupid mistakes. Both had lost their parents at too young of an age, and it still killed him how Winry had gotten wrapped up in everything that had happened with the military. They both had to grow up quickly, maybe too quickly.

Maybe it was alright to loosen up every now and then.

What he wanted to say was that she was pretty and he liked her hair; the words were on his tongue, but in true Edward Elric fashion, his mouth vetoed at the last second, and he said instead, “Why, so I can be as loose as you?”

Winry huffed, dropping his hands, but continuing to stand very close to him, “Don’t be a dick, Ed.”

Folding his arms across his chest, Ed tried to fight the colour that was rising in his cheeks. “I can’t wait for Old Pinako to hear you cuss like that and wash your mouth out with soap.”

“Hah! Are you kidding? Granny has an even worse mouse”, Winry furrowed her brows, and the doubled over laughing at her own mix up.

Ed tapped his foot and waited patiently for her to finish giggling.

“Granny has an even worse mouth than I do”, she corrected herself, and then tacked on, “And so do you! So stop telling me what to do!”

As she went to poke him again, his hand flew up and he caught her wrist. Success!

“Come on Win, we’re going home.”

She sighed, and then without warning, launched herself at him, and he nearly toppled forward from the surprise, though managed only very narrowly to stay upright, and he hooked his arms under her knees as she hooked her arms around his shoulders.

“If you wanted a piggyback ride, you could have just asked for one.”

“Yeah, well. I wanted to see if you would catch me.”

“I’ll always catch you, Winry.”

Ed felt his cheeks flush fully, thankful she was behind him and that it was so dark out. What kind of lame ass comment was that? That’s what he got for blurting shit out before he had time to think.

He could hear her breathing in his ear as she pondered his statement, and then she said quietly, “The girl at the bar couldn’t stop hitting on you.”

Nearly dropping her in surprise, Edward tried to crane his neck around to look at her. That had gone completely beyond his notice, but he was more focused on why that would have bothered her. Was that why she’d gotten so drunk? Because he’d somehow managed to upset her yet again, without even meaning to?

“And why do you care?”

“Put me down.” Winry ordered, and Ed unhooked his arms so she could slide off his back, turning around so he could steady her if he needed to.

She leaned in, impossibly close, and his heart started thundering in his chest when she smacked him.

“TAG!” 

And then she proceeded to sprint away.

Edward sighed, almost wishing that he’d had more to drink, because he probably would have found this more amusing instead of feeling like he was babysitting.

"What are we, five years old?"

Maybe he needed a different tactic.

“Winry, did you drop your wrench?”

The blonde was back at his side in an instant. Ed blinked, he hadn’t realized she was capable of moving so quickly, particularly when she’d had trouble walking in a straight line only a moment ago, but she clutched onto his shoulder, peering at the ground.

“No, it’s still in my pocket. I can feel it!” Winry chirped, pulling a wrench from her back pocket.

Ed ducked instinctively as she swung it around proudly; standing upright only once it was back safe in her pocket. He hadn’t realized she quite literally carried wrenches around with her everywhere she went, but he wasn’t surprised. Gearhead nerd.

He didn’t realize how fondly he was smiling until Winry pocked his cheek. “What’s so funny Ed?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.”

Steeling his nerves, he reached for her hand again, this time interlacing their fingers together so he could start gently pulling her towards home.

Winry resumed humming again, half skipping, bumping her shoulder with his as they walked along the gravel path they had walked so many times together when they were younger.

They were silent for a few moments before she piped up, shockingly coherent for how much she’d had to drink.

“So you didn’ notice the pretty girl who was flirting with you?”

“You were really bothered by that, huh?”

“So you did notice!”

“No! No, I didn’t notice anything, but you mentioned it before-”

“Whatever Edward Elric, if you don’t-”

But Ed never got to hear the rest of her sentence, as she tripped over something – a pebble, a twig, her own two feet, air, who knew? – and teetered forwards.

Without stopping to think about it, Ed snapped into action and reached out to steady her, but the force of her drunken stumble knocked the two of them to the ground, and they rolled twice off the path. Ed wrapped his arms around her to try to lessen some of the blow, and she squealed with laughter the whole way.

When they lost their momentum and stopped rolling, he was hovering over her, and she was grinning up at him.

“The hero of Amestris! Coming to my rescue.” Winry was laughing at him, though not unkindly. Her eyes were bright and shining, and even in the dim light; she had never looked more beautiful.

He wanted to tell her as much, but once again, his mouth vetoed at the last minute.

“Yeah, yeah, shut up.”

Winry laughed again, “You’re cute.”

Edward felt so hot it was as if he was going to burst into flames, and almost – almost – wished Colonel Spark was there to help him out with that. His cheeks felt like they were on fire, though he grinned, despite himself. 

Winry noticed as much.

“And now you look like a tomato!” Poking his cheek again, she rolled out from under him, sitting cross legged. She attempted to get up, falling over and then promptly tried again.

“The world is spinning, Ed!”

Ed chuckled, standing up and holding out a hand for her.

“The world does that, Win.”

Winry grabbed his hand and pulled herself up, and then she did something completely unexpected. She leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek.

It did nothing to help his blush, but he smiled, squeezing her hand gently. He wanted to push the bar girl topic a little further, but decided that he didn’t want to invoke her ire. Hopefully he was forgiven.

“For such a smart guy, you can be a real dummy sometimes.”

“Hey!”

“Let’s go home, I’m tired.”

“Whatever you say, Win.”

A few weeks later, and the pair found themselves at the Resembol train station.

Ed was sulking. When he had bought his train ticket out West, a small part of him hoped that it would prompt him to tell Winry how he felt. What hadn’t helped was that Al had spent every moment before he took off asking under his breath if Ed had told her.

It wasn’t just one of those things you blurted out!

These things couldn’t be rushed!

There just hadn’t been a good enough moment yet!

And now, here he was, sitting at the train station, suitcase on one side, blonde bombshell on the other, arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed and only half listening as she rattled off a list of instructions.

She had first rendered him speechless by stealing his sweater and telling him that he could have it when he returned home – just like she’d given him her earrings when they’d separated at Briggs.

Now she was rambling on about automail as if he wasn’t having the internal struggle of a lifetime, and he only half listened, agreeing whenever she paused.

“Are you even listening?”

“Yeah”, he deadpanned, even though he was, in fact, not listening.

The train pulled up, and Ed realized he was out of time. Resigning himself to the fact that he would just have to find some other way to tell her – and hope she didn’t meet someone ruggedly handsome while he was away – Ed waved over his shoulder.

But for some reason, being told he had to make an appointment with her struck a nerve.

An appointment? With someone he had known ever since he could remember? Whose grandmother had practically raised him? With someone who he loved so much he hadn’t believe it was capable to feel so strongly about another human being who wasn’t his brother? After everything they had been through together?

Who did she think he was?

Ed could feel himself starting to sweat. There was an entire list of things he could say on the tip of his tongue, but as always, his mouth had the ultimate veto power.  
Flushing, he pointed at her and bellowed, “EQUIVILANT EXCHANGE!”

**Author's Note:**

> Just a silly little drabble because who isn’t here for fluffy shenanigans and Ed silently worshipping Winry even though he’d never admit it? Drunk fics can get a little OOC sometimes so I hope I didn't go too overboard here.  
> This is the first thing I’ve written for this fandom, so definitely let me know what you think! I’m always worried about characterization so any pointers are always welcome. So are questions, comments, critiques, (even credit card numbers).
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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